Rand Paul stuck his neck way out in Detroit.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-12-06/paul-pitches-flat-tax-immigrant-influx-as-remedies-for-detroit.html
http://dailycaller.com/2013/12/04/how-rand-paul-thinks-he-can-save-detroit/
He thinks the solution to Detroit’s problems is to encourage immigrants with $50k in assets to move there, something I’ve written about a couple times. 20,000 Japanese in Detroit would cause miracles to the functioning of the government.
The Libertarian position is that capital and labor should be allowed to move freely where they can be used the most efficiently, and not be encumbered by tariffs and restrictions on movement like national borders.
http://www.lp.org/issues/immigration
http://mises.org/journals/jls/13_2/13_2_5.pdf
I agree that the Democrat government was the cause of Detroit’s demise. Today, in 2013, if you buy a ruined home in Detroit and many are on sale for less than $1000, the Democrats running Detroit will expect $5,000 per year in annual property taxes on your $1,000 property. You don’t need an MBA or a degree in economics to see why the city is not rebounding.
An influx of successful people can change the government through a peaceful revolution at the polls.
Look no further than the state of California that bases real estate property taxes on the purchase price of the real estate and you should be able to see a solution.
Most of the properties that are worth remodeling etc, have already been given to cronies of the council and bureaucrats within the administrations of the past. Some
for as little as a dollar.
One of the biggest problems is that you have to have some equity even “sweat” equity meaningful. And you have to have citizens that are willing to stand up to the gang types that roam not only Detroit, but most all large urban areas. It will be tough without adequate Police presence and two parent families with a vested interest in the neighborhoods.
Back in the 1980s when I lived in Troy, those cheap houses were a trap (which is why they were so cheap). If you were on the deed and not insulated by making each property a corporation, shortly thereafter you would be visited by professional slip and fall victims and their lawyers (in addition to a herd of city inspectors of course). You had a lot more at risk than your equity in the property. Good luck getting insurance.
So about the only people owning the houses (other than the area near Southfield where city employees all lived), the model was you bought the house, stuck in a section 8 tenant and if that didn’t work out, strip the house of the metal and bricks and walk away and let the city take possession and bulldoze it eventually.
Gotta fix that before I want to see a single penny of my tax money sent to that Democrat city.
Maybe we need universal homeowner’s insurance with a fixed price and eliminate caps on liability payments.
Sounds like you are describing the federal Flood Insurance program.
Kind of – except the issue I’m pointing to is Detroit’s long history of the urban poor on juries using their power to help other members of the community win the lottery
when you said below “long history of the urban poor on juries using their power to help other members of the community win the lottery” it reminded me of this 60s classic ballad from Phil Ochs, particularly the verse on the courts of Mississippi. If you don’t know the song, it is hard to listen to, even half a century later:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvcNZ-KOEcg
Yeah, what Jim says, “sweat equity” goes a long ways, that would help Detroit.
I don’t see the current middle-east immigrant collective in Dearborn helping at all in Detroit.
God I have the biggest bunch of losers on my fantasy football team.
parrott
I’m thinking more along the lines that they won’t put up with crap from their neighbors and the do nothing city government and schools. They’ll kick ass and not accept the excuses that people in Detroit suffer from the legacy of 400 years of slavery, blah blah blah.
Hey Art : what do you think about a swap & shop Category so we can Buy, sell and trade amongst everyone here ? sort of related to radio?
parrott